Improvement in harvesters



2 Sheets--Sheet 1. C. BENTON.

/ Harvester,

No. 58,720. Patented Oct. 9, 1866.

2 Sheets-Sheet- 2.

C. DENTON.

- Harvester.

Patented Oct. 9, 1866.

UNITED STATES CHARLES DENTON, OF PEKIN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, SAMUEL E. BARBER, I

PATENT FFTGE.

AND SAML. F; HAVVLEY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,720, dated October 9, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES DENTON, of Pekin, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Harvesting Grain; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, Sheet No. 1, is a plan or top view of my invention; Fig. 2, a section of the driving-wheel of the same, taken in the line m 00, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detached view of the sickledriving mechanism pertaining to the same; Fig. 4, a section of a portion of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a detached plan or top view of a portion of the same; Fi 6, Sheet No. 2, a side sectional view of the same, taken in the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 7, a front sectional view of the same, taken in the line 00 00, Fig. '1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre' sponding parts.

My invention consists in an arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, by means of which the sickle may be readily raised or lowered; and it also relates to the method of attaching an'elevator or spout-box to the frame of the machine.

A represents the main frame of the machine,

in which the driving-wheel B is placed, the hub O of the latter being of cast-iron, and having two sets of wrought-iron spokes, D, fitted in it, constructed of an gle-iron or gas-pipe to insure lightness with strength. (See Fig. 2.) The fellies E are also of wrought-iron, and bent inward toward the hub O at their sides or edges, forming angle-iron, which insures strength, and also, by its outward-rounding edge, prevents earth from gathering or collecting at the inner side of the wheel when the machine is at work. Each set of spokes is provided with a set of fellies, or one folly, a space being allowed between the latter, and the follies are bound by a tire, F, the latter lapping over the inner parts or edges of both sets of fellies and secured thereto by bolts or rivets.

By this mode of construction a very strong and durable driving-wheel is obtained, and at the same time a light one.

G represents the tongue, which is attached to one side of the main frame A by being fitted loosely on the axle H of the driving-wheel B. This tongue works in a guide, I, which is firmly attached-to the rear of frame A, and has two racks, to a, into which pinions J J gear, the latter being on a shaft, K, which passes transversely through the tongue G, and is operated or turned by bevel'gears b, the axis of one of which is provided with a crank, c.

L L represent oblique or diagonal bars, which are attached to the rear part of the main frame A, and extend forward divergin gl y to support a cross-bar, M, at the front end of the main frame, the finger-bar N, and an end piece, 0, attached to the right-hand end of bar M. These bars L L render the framing exceedingly stiff and firm, preventing all rackin g of the same when the machine is at work.

P is an elevator or spoutboX, the lower end of which is connected by springs Q to the front part of the framing, so that it may be raised or lowered to a greater or less angle of inclination to suit the height of a wagon or cart accompanying the machine, and into which the cut grain is discharged by an endless conveying-apron, It, which works around rollers d, and extends the whole width of the front part of the framing. This spout is retained in position by a chain, S, attached to a bar, T, on the framing, and to a bail, U, attached to the spout. (See Figs. 1 and 7.) The spout P is at the left-hand end of the framing, and at the opposite end the grain-divider V is placed, the same being inclined slightly downward from its enter to its inner side in its transverse section, and gradually widening toward its cen ter, and contracting in width from that point to its rear end, as shown in Fig. 1.

\V is the reel, which is of usual construe tion, and X is the reel-shaft, the right-hand bearing of which is in a bar, Y, and the other bearing in a block, Z, connected to the bar T by links in such a way that the reel may be adjusted higher or lower to suit the height of the grain.

The reel W is rotated by means of gearing, as follows: To the driving-wheel B a toothed wheel, A, is attached concentrically, and this wheel A gears into a pinion, B, on a shaft, 0, which has avdouble bevel-wheel, D, upon it, into which two bevel-wheels, E F, gear at opposite sides. (See Fig.1.) The wheel E is placed upona shaft, G, the lower end of which is stepped in a collar, H, placed loosely on the shaft 0, and on the upper part of said shaft Gr there is placed loosely a collar, 1, having upon it a bevel-wheel, J, which gears into a corresponding wheel, K, on the reelshaft X. The upper part of the shaft G is square, and the interior of the collar 1 is also square, so that said collar may slide on the shaft and still be rotated by it.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the reel will be rotated from the driving-wheel,

' and the reel at the same time rendered capable of being adjusted higher or lower without at all affecting the gearing which rotates it.

The bevel-wheel F is placed on a shaft, J, and gears into a corresponding wheel, K, on a shaft, L, the bearings of which are at the side of the spout P. The upper end of this shaft L has a bevel-wheel, M, upon it, which gears into a corresponding wheel, N, on the axis of the upper roller, (1, of the apron B. By this means motion is communicated to said apron.

The finger-bar N is constructed of wroughtiron, bent, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to have two horizontal flanges, c c, the flange 0 being at the upper edge of the finger-bar and projecting forward, and the other flange, e, being at the lower edge of the finger-bar and projecting backward. The finger-bar is secured the usual crank and pitinan is avoided, the

pitman and balance-bars being dispensed with.

The sickle is-adjusted higher or lower, to suit the height of the grain, by turning the crank 0, and thereby rotating the pinions J J, which gear into the racks to a.

The guide I at the rear of the main frame A may be of cast-iron, and cast with a plate, 1*, secured to the rear of the main frame.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The attaching of the spout Pto the front part of the framing by means of springs g g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The arrangement of the racks a a on the guide I, attached to frame A, in combination with the pinions J J, secured to the pole or tongue Gr, as shown and described, for adjusting the sickle higher or lower, as described.

. CHARLES DENTON.

Witnesses:

A. P. GRIswoLD, J AS. H. BooN. 

